OKLAHOMA CITY The official Welcome Guide to Oklahoma City CONTENT Welcome to OKC WELCOME TO YOUR CULTURE EDUCATION NEW HOMETOWN No other city in the nation has the momentum Read on for more information about how and direction of Oklahoma City, and those who Oklahoma City can truly give you a better live here will agree: There has never been a life – from urban to suburban, minimalist to better time to call Oklahoma City home. From environmentalist, historic to modern. No matter better jobs to a better quality of life, opportunity your style or goals, Oklahoma City’s low cost of abounds in Oklahoma City. Inside this guide you living will give you the freedom to pursue the life will see a small sample of what it is like to be you want. part of this vibrant city – to feel its energy and experience its excitement. Oklahoma City metro at a glance: 18-24 Average home price of HOUSING 15 29th largest city $123,525 in the nation About Oklahoma City 3 3rd largest city in land area in the nation Average of more than Getting to Oklahoma City 6 248 Oklahoma City Districts 8 days of sunshine a year Average unemployment of Employment 31 130+ miles of federal 4.0 % Ranked as the metro area with the interstate and Health 34 25-30 in the past 12 months shortest commute – residents spend state highways Cimate 38 20.7 minutes commuting on average Oklahoma City Welcome Guide | 1 ABOUT OKLAHOMA Even from the beginning, Oklahoma City has been far from CITY ordinary. Born at the sound of a gunshot, we became home to 10,000 homesteaders in the historic Land Run on April 22, 1889. Think that day was full of excitement? It doesn’t even compare to the energy and exuberance of Oklahoma City today. GET CONNECTED Home to more than 1.3 million people, the Greater urban hustle to suburban living, Oklahoma City not Oklahoma City is constantly improving and are looking for something to do, The Better Life Oklahoma City metro is beloved by its residents only makes it all possible, but it makes it easy. growing. Stay up-to-date on all that is happening Blog gives you a weekly update on Oklahoma and often the envy of other cities across the country in your new hometown by checking out The Better City’s greatest sights, events, attractions, volunteer and around the world. You can see excitement and The first residents of Oklahoma City took fate into Life website and blog, a relocation resource that opportunities and more. progress everywhere – from the urban fabric of our their own hands and created a city from scratch. covers all that is found in this guide and more. growing downtown to the tree-lined streets of our History repeated itself in the 1990s when citizens With information on housing, education and Visit www.abetterlifeokc.com/the-better-life to sign historic neighborhoods and voted for a penny sales tax neighborhoods in Oklahoma City, you will feel like up for weekly email alerts about the latest and districts. to fund investments known an in-the-know local in no time. And when you greatest in Oklahoma City. YOU WILL FIND A TRUE MODERN- locally as MAPS (Metropolitan When you combine our DAY RENAISSANCE TAKING Area Projects). Nine projects momentum with the faces of and $350 million later, PLACE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. our famously-friendly citizens, Oklahoma City was home to Can’t get enough of OKC? the entrepreneurial spirit of a new ballpark and arena, a our leaders and the diverse revitalized performing arts VisitOKC.com OKCChamber.com and strong economy, you will find a true modern-day center, a rejuvenated river and more – all leaving The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau Learn more about Oklahoma City’s vibrant business renaissance taking place in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City in the midst of a phenomenon that introduces new folks to Oklahoma City on a daily community and the vision that is moving Oklahoma continues today. basis. Visit its website for a sampling of Oklahoma City forward. And the best part? We’ve only just begun. And it is City’s best attractions. time for you to join us. When you call Oklahoma City home, you will On the go experience our past, present and future, and you GreaterOklahomaCity.com Read the digital edition of this guide on your tablet We haven’t lost the spirit that took our city from will discover why our residents just can’t get enough Geared toward business leaders and entrepreneurs, or smart phone and be a click away from Oklahoma a population of zero to 10,000 overnight. In fact, of this thriving, urban metropolis. Oklahoma City GreaterOklahomaCity.com is an important economic City resources. The digital edition is even easier to Oklahoma City thrives on that spirit still today. Our combines its pioneer spirit with its modern energy development resource for businesses looking share with friends, family and colleagues. community has used public improvements and to create a place where you can dream big. It also to grow, expand or locate in our region. The site large-scale projects to propel our renaissance boasts clean air, low crime, easy commutes, new features useful tools including a web-based property and make Oklahoma City a big-league city, not to schools, dynamic arts and a low cost of living. Here, locator and access to the latest market data. mention a great place to live, work and play. This you can make more than a living. You can live a enterprise and energy is evident everywhere. From great life. 2 | Oklahoma City Welcome Guide Oklahoma City Welcome Guide | 3 Airlines Serving OKC: Travel by Air Will Rogers World Airport offers nonstop air service to 22 Moving to OKC Allegiant Southwest American US Airways airports in 19 cities in the United States, including east Delta United and west coast cities. See the entire flight schedule at Frontier www.flyokc.com. GETTING TO Non-Stop Destinations Atlanta Los Angeles Baltimore Minneapolis OKLAHOMA CITY Charlotte New York City Chicago Orlando* Dallas Phoenix Oklahoma City’s location, equidistant Denver Salt Lake City from both coasts at the junction Destin/Fort Walton Beach* San Francisco of three of the nation’s major Detroit Seattle arteries, ensures easy travel and Houston St. Louis transportation from Oklahoma City Las Vegas Washington D.C. to anywhere in the United States. *seasonal route Two of the nation’s most important highways – Interstate 40, which runs from Los Angeles to Raleigh, N.C.; and Interstate 35, which runs all the way from Mexico to Canada be exact). But despite its scope, Oklahoma City is – meet in downtown Oklahoma Travel by Train remarkably easy to navigate. A generous network of City. The intersection of these major Amtrak service via Oklahoma’s Heartland Flyer interstates and free-flowing arteries make it easy to highways, along with the nearly runs a 418-mile round trip between Oklahoma City commute from one corner of the metro to another. 13,000 miles of streets in the city, and Fort Worth, Texas, daily. From there, you can And Oklahoma City’s streets are made up of a grid ensures Oklahoma City’s status as easily connect to Dallas, Chicago and San Antonio. system, making navigation a breeze. the crossroads of America. The train arrives and departs in Oklahoma City at the historic Santa Fe Depot, which is in the heart of downtown on the western edge of the Bricktown If public transit is more your style, then you can join Nebraska Chicago Entertainment District. Visit www.heartlandflyer.com approximately 3 million riders who take advantage of to learn more. EMBARK, the Oklahoma City metro transit provider. Illinois From bus, ferry transit, bike share and downtown Kansas parking solutions, EMBARK has a variety of routes Colorado City Kansas MissouriSt Louis Getting Around and services that will keep you moving. View a Wichita One of the many perks of life in Oklahoma City is schedule at www.embarkok.com. that residents don’t spend their free time trapped in Albuquerque Tulsa Arkansas New Mexico « traffic going to and from work. In fact, the average Tulsa, Okla. | 105 miles person spends only 20 minutes commuting one Wichita, Kan. | 162 miles Mississippi way to work, compared to the national average of Dallas, Texas | 205 miles Dallas 25.8 minutes. While a five-minute difference may Kansas City, Mo. | 353 miles Texas not seem like much, in one year’s time you will have Austin, Texas | 390 miles Louisiana saved 50 hours of commute time. San St. Louis, Mo. | 501 miles Antonio Oklahoma City is extraordinary in a number of ways Denver, Colo. | 680 miles – one of those being its size (621 square miles to 4 | Oklahoma City Welcome Guide Oklahoma City Welcome Guide | 5 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum CLASSEN NE 63RD ST CURVE NE 50TH ST AVE HARVEY HUDSON AVE HUDSON ADVENTURE WALKER AVE WALKER DISTRICT LINCOLN BLVD LINCOLN SHARTEL AVE SHARTEL CLASSEN BLVD CLASSEN WESTERN AVE WESTERN NE 36TH ST NE 30TH ST PASEO AVE KELLEY ARTS Community DISTRICT OKLAHOMA NE 23RD ST ASIAN DISTRICT ASIAN NW 23RD ST UPTOWN 23rd DISTRICT STATE CAPITOL LEE AVE LEE PLAZA AVE KING LUTHER MARTIN NW 16TH ST NE 16TH ST DISTRICT DEWEYAVE ROBINSON AVE ROBINSON NW 13TH ST OKLAHOMA CITY OK HEALTH CENTER COMPLEX NW 10TH ST MIDTOWN OKLAHOMA AVE OKLAHOMA DISTRICTS NW 9TH ST NW 9TH ST NW 8TH ST WESTERN AVE WESTERN BROADWAY AVE BROADWAY FRANCIS BLVD FRANCIS SHARTEL AVE SHARTEL NW 6TH ST HARRISON CLASSEN BLVD CLASSEN OKC METRO TRANSIT PENN AVE PENN VILLA AVE VILLA NATIONAL CENTER MEMORIAL BLVD LINCOLN There’s no better way to get to NW 5TH ST & MUSEUM NW 5TH ST know your new hometown than by NW 4TH ST AUTOMOBILE ALLEY N exploring the unique communities DOWNTOWN DEAN A.